Cameron Kerry, the brother of Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry will travel to Israel on Tuesday for what the Kerry campaign is describing as a "personal trip," but which will be packed with meetings with senior Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. The six-day visit will be Kerry’s first trip to Israel and the second for his wife Kathy Weinman, who is Jewish. Cameron converted to Judaism two decades ago before they married. "Cam Kerry and his wife Kathy will be traveling to Israel. It’s personal trip to listen and learn, and to experience Israel up close," said Jay Footlik, the Kerry campaign’s senior adviser on Middle East and Jewish Affairs, who will be accompanying the Kerry couple. Kerry, who is a close adviser to his brother, will also be joined by a handful of Kerry supporters and contributors to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, an arm of which – the American Israel Education Fund – is sponsoring the trip.
In addition to Sharon, Kerry is scheduled to meet Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, Defense Minsiter Shaul Mofaz, Finance Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Sharon’s national security adviser Giora Eiland, Labor party leader Shimon Peres, former prime minister Ehud Barak, and others. The group is scheduled to visit the major sites including the Western Wall, Yad Vashem, and the Golan Heights. A visit to Masada is tentatively scheduled. |